Victoe be-langer



(No Model.)

VgBELANGER; GAR vIMFELLING MBGHANISM.

Ptented'Mar'. 26

fn: Nonms mens co. PHOTO-Luna.. wAsHiNcmN. n, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

vIoTOR BELANGER'OE BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS,,ASSIGNOR or ONEIIALF To MARY E. BRADY, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-IMPEL'LING MECHANISIVI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 536,325, dated March 26, 1895.

Application filed January 25, 1 895. Serial No. 536.188- (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VICTOR BLANGER, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Impeliing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for connecting an electric or other motor with a shaf t to or axle driven thereby, in such manner `that the power may be increased (although at the Aexpense of speed) when extra .power is required, as in starting the car or when a car provided with the mechanism of my invention t 5 has to ascend a steep grade.

The invention has for its object to provide an improved mechanism for the purpose above named, which shall be Simple and effective and readily controlled by a motor-man or attendant on the car; and to this end it consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication,-Figure lrepre 2 5' sents a bottom plan view of a portion of a cartruck provided with my improved mechanism. Figs. 1EL and lb represent detail views hereinafter referred to. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents'asection on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, looking toward the left. Fig. 4' represents a section on the saine line, looking toward the right. Fig. 5 represents a Section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

`3 5 The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings-the letter a designates the motor-driven axle of a car, and a a. the wheels thereon. To the axle is rigidly secured a iiange d, preferably formed as a casing containing the changeable gearing hereinafter described. A sleeve e is mounted loosely on the axle a and extends into the casing d. To the outer end of Said sleeve out- 4 5 side the casing, there is atiixed a gear-wheel f for engagement with the smaller gear f on the inter-mediate shaftfz, which is connected by gears fftwith the motor-driven shaft f 5, the latter being connected with an 5o electric or other motor f6., On the inner end of the sleeve e within the casing there is formed a pinion g. Loosely mounted on the sleeve e within the casing ythere is an eccentric h supporting a strap or ringt'which is extended from one side of the eccentriaits extended portion being formed as an internal gear i', which is in mesh with the pinion g. Said internal gear has a radial slotted arm Z2 the slot of which receives a pin j fastened to the flange creasing d and carrying a blockj 6o adapted to slide in the slot. The said slotted arm l2 and pin j constitute a self-adjusting connection between the internal gear and the axle, whereby said parts arecaused to rotate together, said connection permitting such independent lateral movements of the internal gear as are caused by the eccentric when the latter is locked, as hereinafter described.

v On the hub of the eccentric there is formed a flange lo having a recess lo for engagement 7o with a detent lo? which is mounted to swing toward and from the flange 7c and is controlled through suitable intermediate connections by an operating device on a platform of the car, said device being-here shown as a vertical shaft k12 having a crank lo arranged to be grasped by the motor-man and connected with the detent through the pinion klo, gear 109, shaft 708, arm k7, and chain los.

The operation'is as follows: In the normal 8o condition of parts, the eccentric is left free to rotate, and power applied to rotate the pinion g is transmitted directly to the axle, the pinion and internal gear remaininglocked together at one place so that the eccentric turns with the pinion and the axle is driven the same as though the gear f was affixed to the axle as usual.

To obtain increased power in starting the car, or whenever it is needed, the motor-man 9o by turning the shaft k12 in\ the proper direction throws the detent k2 against the perimeter of the flange 7c, 'so that the recess lc thereof will encounter the detent. When this takes place, the eccentric is held stationary, and then the pinion turns the internal gear on the eccentric and the motion is transmitted through said gear to the axle, the described self-adj usting connection allowing for theresulting radial variation of movement between 'we the internal gear and the axle. The operating shaft k1? is preferably theishaft .thatoperates the brakes of'the car, the arrangement being such that when the shaft is turned to apply the brakes and stop the car, the gearing is changed from high to low. The detent is normally held out of engagement with the eccentric flange f: by means of a resilient bar k3 to which the detent is afxed, said bar being rigidly attached to a bracket [c4 and fitted to turn loosely in a bracket h5. When the chain It is pulled in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. l, the detent 7a2 is moved inwardly against the flange k, the bar 7c3 being twisted and put under torsional strain by this movement, so that when the chain is allowed to slacken the bar disengages .the detent from the flange. I prefer to connect with the detent another chain la which extends to the opposite end of the car and is there connected with an operating device similar to that above described in connection with the chain 7o, the detent comprisingr two duplicate parts rigidly connected and arranged at opposite sides of the axle, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the change from high to low gearing and vice versa can be effected from either end of the car. The bar k3 is adapted to act in either direction, so that it returns the detent to its normal position after it has b een moved by the chain 7&3.

The shaft k12 is preferably the Vsaine shaft that is used to apply the brakes, the brake-` chain being connected with said shaft as usual, so that its rotation in one direction applies the brake-shoes to the wheels, while its opposite rotation releases the brake-shoes. The described connection between the brakeshaft k12 and the detentis'iutended to engage the detent with the eccentric while the brakeshoes are being applied to stop the car, and to keep the detent in engagement with the eccentric for a brief period after the brakeshoes have been separated from the wheels, so that the connection of the motor to the driven axle is changed from' high to low gear by the operation of applying the brakes, and remains at low gear after the release of the wheels by the brakes long enough to enable the car to be started through the low-gear connection, the high-gear connection being then automatically resumed. lhese results are attained by the employment of the pinion 7010, gear kf', and arm khas illust rated in Figs. l and 1b. The said pinion and gear are proportioned so that the rotation of the brake-shaft k12 required to apply the brakes will give the gear its and shaft los only a partial rotation, carrying the arm 7c7 from the 'position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 1b, or thereabout. The arm is adapted to move endwise in an orifice in the shaft los, so that after the arm has passed the position shown in Fig. la (the slack of the chain la being then taken up and the detent engaged with the eccentric flange) it will slip in the shaft during the remainder of the movement sufficiently to prevent excessive or injurious strain on the chain and detent, and without permitting the slackening of the chain. It will be seen, therefore, that during the latter part ofthe brake-applying movement and the first part of the brakereleasing movement of the shaft 7612, the detent remains in engagement with the eccentric flange, the chain 7o being held taut until the backward rotation of the brake -shaft brings the shaft las and arm k7 to such position as will enable the chain to slacken and the torsional bar 7c3 to restore the detent to its normal position. A spring k may be employed to force the arm k7 back to the position shown in Fig. l during the backward rotation ot' the brake-shaft, said spring maintaining a tension on the chain until the arm in its return movement passes the point where itis shown in Fig. la. An essential part of the connection between the brake-shaft and the detent is therefore aprovision foralost motion, such as that afforded by the sliding arm 707 whereby the detent is held stationary during the latter Apart of the brake-applying movement and the first part of the brakereleasing movement of the brake-shaft. I do not limit myself to the means here shown for producing this result, and may employ any other suitable means having provision for the described lost motion.

I prefer to provide means for positively locking the eccentric to the flange or casingd when the parts are operating normally and for releasing the eccentric from the casing when the low-gear connection is established; and to this end, I provide the flange 7c with a dog o (Fig. 4a) which is pressed outwardly by a spring o and is adapted to engage a slot in the casing d. Said dog is affixed to a stud o2 which passes through the eccentric flange 7c and has on its outer end an arm o5 provided with an inclined outer end 03 which occupies such relation to a stud o4 on the detent 7c that when the detent is in its normal position the stud o4 permits the dog o to move outwardly into engagement with the casing d, as shown in Fig. 4". When the detent is moved inwardly to engage the flange 7c, the stud o4 acts on the inclined end o8 and swings the arm o5 inwardly, thus disengaging the dog o from `the casing. The other arm of the detent is pro vided with a stud o7 which cooperates with an incline o8 on the arm o5 in disengaging the dog from the casing when the detent is operated from the other end of the car through the chain 7013.

In case it is desirable to change from high to low gear without applying the brakes, as in ascending a steep grade, or when moving slowly through a crowded thoroughfare, means may be provided for operating the detentindependently of the brakes. Such means may be, for example, a bell-crank lever r located below the platform, one arm of the lever being connected by a branch chain or rod r IOO IIO

ywith the chain ki and the other armwith a pedal r2 arranged to be depressed by the motor-man. When the pedal is. depressed, the lever r is moved in the direction required to pull on the chain and engage the detent with the eccentric. When the pedal is released, it is raised by a spring r3. The` pedal may be locked in a depressed position by a dog or locking device r4 to maintain the low-gear connection.

I claiml. A car-impelling mechanism comprising a motor, a driving pinion loose on the driven axle ofthe car and operatively connected with the motor, a loose eccentric surrounding the said axle and provided with a detent-engaging member or flange, an internal gear jour naled on said eccentric and meshing with thef driving pinion, aself-ad j usting connection between said internal gear and the axle whereby said gear is caused to rotate with the axle and permitted to move laterally independently thereof, and a detent whereby the eccentric may be held stationary.

2. A car-impelling mechanism comprising a motor, a sleeve loosely mounted on they driven axle of the car and provided with a gear operatively connected with the motor and with a driving pinion, an eccentric loosely mounted on said sleeve, an internal gear loosely mounted on said eccentric and having a deten t-engaging flange, a self-ad j usting connection `between said internal gear and the axle whereby said gear is caused to rotate with the axle and permitted to move laterally independently thereof, and a detent whereby the eccentric may be held stationary.

3. A car-impelling mechanism comprising a motor, a driving pinion loose on the driven axle of the car and operatively connected with the motor, a loose eccentric surrounding the axle, a self-adjusting connection between the internal gear and axle, a detent whereby the eccentric may be held stationary, an operating device on the car, and connections between said operating device and detent.

4. A car-impelling mechanism comprising a motor, a driving pinion loose on the driven axle of the car and operatively connected with the motor, a loose eccentric surrounding the axle, a self-adjusting connection between the internal gear and axle, a detent whereby the eccentric may be held stationary, a torsional bar which normally holds the detent out of engagement with the eccentric, said bar being rigidly held at one end and free to turn at the other, and means for moving said detent into engagement with the eccentric, the bar being put undertorsional strain by said'movement and thereby adapted to return the detent to its normal position.

5. A car-impelling mechanism comprising a motor, a driving pinion loose on the driven axle of the car and operatively connected with the motor, a loose eccentric surrounding the said axle and provided with a detent-engaging'member or flange, an internal gear journaled ou said eccentric and meshing with the driving pinion, a self-adjusting connection between said internal gear and the axle whereby said gear is caused to rotate with the axle and permitted to move laterally independently thereof, a detent whereby the eccentric may be heldy stationary, a crank-shaft controlled by an attendant on the car, and a chain connected with the crank-shaft and with the detent.

6. A car-impelling mechanism comprising a motor, a driving pinion loose on the driven axle of the car and operatively connected with the motor, a loose eccentric surrounding the said axle and provided with a detent-engaging member or flange, an internal gear journaled on said eccentric and meshing with the driving pinion, a self-adjusting connection Ybetween said internal gear and the axle whereby said, gear is caused to rotate with the axle and permitted to move laterally independently thereof, a double or two-armed detent the arms of which are arranged at opposite sides of said flange, two chains or ilexible connecting devicesl extending. from said arms to operating devices at opposite ends of the car, and means for yieldingly holding said arms out of engagement with the said liange.

7.' In a car-impelling mechanism, the combination of a motor, `a driven axle, changeable gearing connecting the motor with .the axle, and gear-chan gin g mechanism controlled by an'operator on the car, said mechanism comprising a movable operating device such as a detent arranged to act on the gearing, a brake-shaft arranged to be rotated by the operator, and connections between said shaft and detent whereby the detent is made operative, said connections having provision for a lost motion whereby the detent is made operative before the completion of the brake-apiA plying movement and is held in operative position during the first part of the vbrakereleasing movement of said shaft.

8. In a car-impelling mechanism, the combination of a motor, a driven axle, changeable gearing connecting the motor with the axle, and gearchanging mechanism controlled by an operator on the car, said mechanism comprising a movable operating device such as a detent arranged to act'on the gearing, a brake-shaft arranged to be rotated by the operator, a pinion on the brake-shaft, a gearmeshing with said pinion, a shaft aiixed to said gear, an arm fitted vto slide across said shaft, and a chain connecting the said arm with the detent.

9. `The combination of the axle, the casing affixed thereto, the loose driving pinion, the loose eccentric having a detent engaging ilange, the internal gear journaled on the eccentric and meshing with the pinion, a locking device adapted to automatically connect- IOO the eccentric with the casing, a detent Wherename to this specification, in the presence of by the eccentric may be held stationary, and two subscribing Witnesses, this 22d day of connections between the detent and looking January, A D. 1895.

device whereby the eccentric is disengaged VICTOR BLANGER. 5 from the casing when the detent is operated Witnesses:

to hold the eccentric. C. F. BROWN,

In testimony whereof I have signed my A. D. HARRISON. 

